Four Houses, Alike in Dignity
by TheHedgehogGiraffe
Summary: Bentycutio. The kids at Hogwarts, just trying to pass their OWLs and maybe find love along the way.
1. In Which There is an Apology Missing

Getting into trouble at Hogwarts was a lot like getting in trouble at home, at least for Tybalt. It was coupled with an intense feeling of self disappointment, and most of the time, guilt. The guilt was usually minor, he knocked something over or was caught doing something he shouldn't have been. Ty was a decent student, so such occasions were rare at school, but his temper had led him into many situations that he would have otherwise avoided. Usually, the punishment wasn't very severe and the guilt receded quickly. This time, however, he couldn't seem to shut off his conscience. He felt awful, which surprised him.

He shouldn't have cared what happened to Mercutio de Scalla, the Slytherin was a terror. Playing pranks on Ty and his friends, mouthing off to professors, and being a lazy student seemed to be his favorite pass times. But they had honestly just been having a bit of reckless fun-and Ty _had_ been having fun-and no-one should have gotten hurt. Should have. Tybalt felt his temper flare at the young Hufflepuff who had stumbled between them, waving his arms and shouting that they should stop fighting because they would get in trouble. Romeo had always been a bit...ditzy, but Ty drew the line at walking between two duelling wizards. He had twisted his hand to avoid hitting the kid, but the spell had already been cast and hit Mercutio square in the chest, knocking him down. The small crowd that had gathered around them let out a collective sound of shock, and Romeo and his cousin Benvolio rushed over to their friend. Ty's friends converged around him in turn, pulling at his robes and urging him to leave the scene.

Ty himself could only gape, his brow set with confusion and slight horror. He hadn't meant to hit anyone with that spell. In fact, none of the spells he had cast during the duel were meant to hit their target, Mercutio had dodged or deflected them all with ease. The duel was a product of Mercutio's taunting and Ty's inability to back down from a challenge, but it had been friendly, both of them smiling and laughing in exuberance as they danced about the small classroom. He knew Mercutio would be fine, the cutting spell had been far from fatal, but it would leave a shallow gash in the Slytherin's torso that would hurt like hell.

One of the students in the crowd had run to get Madame Pomfrey, and with the assurance that Mercutio would be taken care of, Ty let himself be pulled away by his friends. He knew he would certainly feel the consequences of his mistake later, but right now he was too ashamed to face Mercutio, who was now sitting up and talking quietly to Benvolio. Neither of them were looking his way, but he didn't to stick around long enough for them to turn on him. He would get defensive, and the last thing he wanted was to antagonize them anymore than he already had.

When Ty and his friends reached the Gryffindor common room, McGonagall was somehow already waiting for them, and the sight of her brought a shiver down his spine. He wasn't afraid of getting in trouble, he had already accepted his fate in that vein, but the head of Gryffindor house was terrifying in her own right. Her stern gaze was fixed solely on him, and his friends clapped him on the shoulder or offered encouraging words before quickly dispersing across the common room. Ty was left standing alone in front of the old woman, who bade him follow her and left the common room, headed towards her classroom. He followed her without a word, walking fast to keep pace a few steps behind her. When they reached the transfiguration classroom, McGonagall closed the door and sat down behind her desk, gesturing for him to sit. When he was situated in the chair, she fixed him with a withering look over her spectacles and folded her hands on the desk.

"Do you know why you're here, Mr. Capulet?" she asked, and Ty shifted uncomfortably but looked her in the eye.

"Because of the duel with Mercutio." he answered evenly, knowing that playing dumb would get him in even more trouble. McGonagall nodded.

"Yes. Mr. de Scalla is in the hospital wing because of your reckless spellcasting. You'll be happy to know that he is going to be alright, but the cutting spell you used will leave a scar." she said, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I didn't mean to hit him." he said, and at a skeptical look from the professor he continued, "Montague got in the way. I didn't want to hit him, so I moved my wand and Mercutio didn't see. He was going to deflect it, but it didn't come from the direction he was expecting and he got hit."

"Regardless of your intentions, duelling is banned at Hogwarts for this exact reason. Mr. Montague should not have had to intervene in the first place. For injuring a student and engaging in dangerous behavior, thirty points will be deducted from Gryffindor and you will receive detention for two weeks." The look in her eye left no room for argument. "And you will apologize to Mr. de Scalla."

"Yes, professor." Ty lowered his eyes and did his best to look remorseful, although he didn't have to act much. He honestly did feel bad about hurting Mercutio.

"You are dismissed, Capulet." At the words from McGonagall, Ty nodded and left her classroom, making his way slowly back to the Gryffindor common room. Guilt ate at him, and he felt sick. The image of his spell connecting with Mercutio's chest kept replaying in his head, as well as the many different ways he could have avoided the entire situation. If only he had aimed the spell into the air, or if he hadn't accepted the Slytherin's challenge in the first place. No doubt the rest of the school would see the incident as another fight between Slytherin and Gryffindor, but to Ty, houses didn't even factor into it. He had enough of that sort of fighting back home.

Speaking of Verona, if his uncle got wind of this, Ty would be in a lot more trouble than detention. The Capulets were constantly struggling to get into Escalus' good graces, and Ty injuring the man's nephew was certainly not a step in the right direction. He just prayed that no-one from Verona mentioned the incident to their family.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize he had reached the common room until the Fat Lady was asking for the password.

"Phoenix felicis." he grumbled, and the door swung open, revealing an oddly silent group of Gryffindors on the other side. They looked up when Ty entered the room, which he did not take as a good sign.

"Hey, Capulet." A voice said from near the fireplace, and Ty turned to find himself face to face with Valentine de Scalla, Mercutio's older brother. Shit. He tried to walk away, but it was already too late, and Valentine grabbed his shoulder in a vice grip. "Where do you think you're going? I have to talk to you."

"Do you? Well, I don't have anything to say to _you,_ so back off." Ty growled, internally cursing his inability to just shut up and avoid the fight he knew would happen if he faced Valentine with his usual prickly demeanor. "I already talked to McGonagall. It's over."

"It isn't over until I say, Capulet, and I'd say you still deserve a beating for what you did to my brother." Valentine pulled Ty around to face him, but kept the grip on his shoulder.

"Your brother will be fine. I barely even scratched him. Now let go of me and stop making an ass of yourself." he tried to yank himself from Valentine's grip, but the older boy held fast. "I'm serious, man. Let go."

"Or what, you'll attack me too?" Valentine sneered, his dark eyes equally parts pissed and mocking. Ty's mind halted for a moment.

"Wait. What? I didn't attack anyone. Where did you even hear that?" he asked, trying not to betray how incredulous he felt. Was there a story going around that he had fought Mercutio unprovoked? Or that it was an actual fight?

"Don't play dumb, Tybalt. Romeo was there, he said he tried to stop you." Of course. Romeo Montague, the clueless little shit. He had stumbled upon the duel halfway through, and then told Valentine that Ty had been attacking Mercutio. What a peach.

"Look, Valentine. It was a duel. Mercutio knew what he was getting into, I didn't jump him. I didn't even mean to hit him. Romeo is an idiot." Even as the words left his mouth, he was aware of how fake they would sound to Valentine, regardless that they were the truth. The older Gryffindor would never accept his word over Romeo's.

It was this realization that allowed him to brace himself as Valentine let go of his shoulder and promptly punched him in the face.


	2. In Which Everything is Romeo's Fault

Mercutio awoke to a pain in his side and Romeo hovering over him, looking like an excited puppy and babbling animatedly to Benvolio. All in all, not that different from how he usually woke up. The strange thing was that he was not slumped in a desk chair or lying in his four-poster bed in the Slytherin dorm, but lying on an uncomfortable nurse bed with a scratchy sheet tangled around his legs. He cleared his throat and sat up, rolling his eyes at Romeo's exclamation of, "He's awake!"

"No shit, sherlock." he grumbled, but smiled anyway because they had obviously been there the entire night, even though they hadn't had to. He looked at Ben, who was smiling at both of them, but Mercutio was selfish and liked to think it was meant for him.

"Hey there, beautiful." he had no brain-to-mouth filter, but luckily Ben didn't mind his constant flirting. He took it all with a grain of salt, which Mercutio just regarded as Ben's own type of oblivious. Occasionally, the Ravenclaw would retaliate, but it always sounded like a joke. That stung a bit, but Mercutio tried not to think about it.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Ben asked, glancing to Mercutio's side. Oh, right. Mercutio's hand drifted down his torso and rested over the wound just under his heart. It still stung a bit, but nothing like it had yesterday. Tybalt had really done him in. Speaking of…

"What were you thinking, you idiot?" he turned to Romeo, swatting the younger boy on the back of the head. The boy jumped and looked at him with indignance.

"Ow! What do you mean, what was I thinking? Tybalt was attacking you! I was trying to save you!" Romeo spluttered. Mercutio fought not to roll his eyes, and surprisingly succeeded.

"He wasn't attacking me, it was a duel. We were just messing around, really. I wasn't in any danger until you jumped in the way and he had to worry about not hitting you." he explained slowly. Romeo made a sound of understanding and then had the good sense to look sheepish, making a small sound of, "oops."

"Yeah, 'oops.' Where'd he run off to, anyway? He was there and then he wasn't." he directed this question at Ben, who shrugged. "Must have run off then. Coward. He's probably asleep in his bed right now, dreaming of the weeks of detention McGonagall's going to give him." Romeo made a small noise and they both turned to look at him.

"What?"

"Well, I went to tell Valentine that you were down here, because he is your brother and all. And I told him what happened, or, what I _thought_ happened." Another bashful look. "And he said he was going to 'beat the shit' out of Tybalt. I thought he was kidding!" He quickly defended against Mercutio and Benvolio's alarmed looks. "But apparently he wasn't, and, well…"

He gestured to a bed a few feet away, where, sure enough, Tybalt was lying unconscious. Mercutio felt a spike of guilt. It really hadn't been Tybalt's fault, and he certainly hadn't deserved to be on the receiving end of Val's wrath. McGonagall had probably punished him pretty badly without adding a black eye on top of it.

When they were kids, he and Tybalt had only ever interacted at formal gatherings and when the Capulet had played with he and Ben before all hell broke loose in Verona. After the feud started, they still saw each other in the streets but never talked, and Tybalt never offered more than a curt nod. At Hogwarts, though, they all adopted an easier attitude without their parents around to pit them against each other. They weren't friends, per say, but the Capulet-Montague alliances became irrelevant and they were allowed to talk freely. The duel had just been a bit of fun, because Tybalt was fun to mess with and he always rose to the challenge. The thought that he was being punished for something that was commonplace for them was odd to Mercutio.

He couldn't help Tybalt though, once Professor McGonagall had made up her mind there was no changing it. However, he could at least apologize for his brother's dickish behavior. He resolved to do exactly that when the other boy woke up. For now, he turned to Benvolio. The boy had obviously gotten little to no sleep, which wasn't that unbelievable, considering how uncomfortable the chair he was sitting in looked.

"Shouldn't you be in classes right now?" he asked, directing the question at both of his friends. Romeo shrugged, he wasn't as diligent a student as Ben, but he could afford to miss a few classes. Ben made a noncommittal noise that was unquestionably a "yes." Mercutio shook his head. "Skipping class, what hooligans. I'm so proud of you."

"Whatever, just hurry up and get better. I'm not failing my O. because you refused to heal." Ben joked, punching Mercutio lightly on the shoulder.

"I don't think that's actually something I can control. But I'll try, just for you, Benny dearest." he replied, and Ben laughed. The Ravenclaw moved his hand, and Mercutio pretended to not be disappointed. Benvolio didn't avoid contact, exactly, but it was rare that he initiated it. Unlike Romeo and Mercutio, who were constantly jumping on him and roughhousing with each other. Speaking of which, Romeo chose this moment to hop onto Mercutio's bed, bouncing up and down.

"Heal faster, this is boring. How long are you gonna be here, anyway?" he asked, and Mercutio shrugged. The pain in his side had subsided, but he wasn't sure when Madame Pomfrey would allow him to leave. The witch was currently hurrying towards them, and he knew that Ben and Romeo had to go.

"You guys better-"

"He'll never get any better if you crowd around him all the time! Get to your classes, both of you. You're lucky enough I let you stay here last night instead of sending you to your dorms!" she spoke with a stern tone, but her eyes were affectionate and she didn't rush them as they gathered their things to leave.

"See you later, Cutio." Romeo said, glancing back at him as he rushed out the door. The Hufflepuff had always been a bit afraid of authority. Ben took his time, gathering his books into his bag and touching Mercutio gently on the shoulder as he passed.

"See you. You better not leave me alone with that one for too long, there's only so much Romeo one person can take." he joked, smiling-always smiling-before following his cousin out the door. Mercutio followed him with his eyes until he was out of sight before turning to Madame Pomfrey.

"So how much longer am I going to be here, doc?" he asked, and she looked over from where she was making the bed to his right. Her gaze was amused in a way that adults look when they're trying to look reproachful.

"A day, at most. The cut was shallow, and the spell wasn't meant to cause much harm in the first place." This annoyed and relieved Mercutio in equal measure. Tybalt had been holding back on him. Then again, he hadn't really been trying to hurt the other boy either. Speaking of, the Gryffindor was now awake and pressing a pack of ice to his face.

"Can I go talk to him?" Mercutio asked Pomfrey, who nodded and made a "feel free" gesture. He rose careful, mindful of his wound, and walked over to Tybalt.

"Hey." he said, and the boy looked up, looking slightly startled. Once he saw it was Mercutio, he relaxed, but his eyes were still wary. Around one of them, the skin was an alarming red-purple that made Mercutio wince. "I'm sorry about Val, Romeo was a bit...well he was Romeo, and told Val that you attacked me or something. I already told him off for it, but I'm sorry Val punched you." Tybalt shook his head, and his gaze grew less suspicious.

"No, I deserved it. I was actually going to apologize to you. I didn't mean to hit you, but still. I'm sorry that I did. Are you okay?" he asked, glancing to Mercutio's side. He looked guilty, which surprised Mercutio. The Slytherin hadn't expected Tybalt to feel that bad about it. After all, he hadn't been hurt that badly, and it technically wasn't even Tybalt's fault. But he still looked like he felt horrible, and Mercutio would never admit it, but he gained a little bit of respect for the Capulet.

"It hurt like hell, but yeah, I'll be fine. Apology accepted, even though it wasn't really your fault." he smiled at Tybalt, and the boy looked away. His cheeks were red, but it must have been the cold from the ice he still held. "Snape's probably going to give me hell though. What'd McGonagall lay on you?"

"Thirty points deducted and two weeks detention." Tybalt said, looking like he dreaded the punishment. Mercutio couldn't blame him. Two weeks hanging out with McGonagall sounded tough. He only hoped Snape would let him off with less, he didn't know if he could handle detention with the potions professor for that long. He said as much, and Tybalt laughed. It was really more of a snort, but still it took Mercutio aback. He had only heard the gruff Capulet make such a noise a handful of times, one being during last night's duel. It had given him pause then, too, but he hadn't had time to think about it. Now that he did, he found he liked the sound. However, when it came to what to do with that information, he was at a loss.

"I don't know how you deal with him. He's so...cold. And a little creepy, honestly. Most Slytherins are. I don't know how you got in." Tybalt said, then paused at Mercutio's expression. "Wait, that came out wrong. I meant...you're so... _not_ like that. Like, you're all fun and energetic, and they're all gloomy. Not that you don't belong in Slytherin, and not that I have anything against it, I j-just…" he stopped. "Sorry. I...I don't know what I'm trying to say, honestly."

"It's fine, Tybalt. Don't worry about it." Mercutio waved his hand in dismissal.

"Ty."

What?"

"It's Ty. Only my uncle and people who know him call me Tybalt. It's some weird Old-English thing. It just doesn't feel like it suits me. So, it's Ty." he said, looking Mercutio in the eye this time. The Slytherin had a feeling he had made this case before.

"Okay. Ty, then." Mercutio nodded. There was an awkward pause where neither of them knew what to say, so he stepped away. "I'll see you later, Ty. Oh, and, no hard feelings. About this, I mean." he gestured to his wound. Ty nodded and looked away, going back to pressing the packed ice against his eye. Mercutio returned to his own bed and grabbed a book from his bag, settling down to read and pretending not to glance at the Capulet boy from time to time. And if they caught each other looking a few times, well, no-one mentioned it.


	3. In Which There is Some Snuggling

Benvolio hadn't been kidding when he had told Mercutio that there was only so much of Romeo that he could handle by himself. He loved his cousin, of course, but Romeo had the incredible-and occasionally incredibly annoying-ability to speak about something for hours without pause. As they ate dinner, Romeo's choice of topic was Rosaline, a Slytherin one year below Mercutio and Ben with whom Romeo was infatuated with.

"I really think I'm in love with her, Ben. Is this what love feels like? I get really nervous whenever I see her, and when I talk to her I just want to keep talking forever and-"

"Romeo, sometimes I feel like you're going to talk forever when you're talking to _me._ Trust me, you don't want to put Rosaline in that situation." He didn't mean to be so blunt, but really. Romeo had been pursuing the poor girl for weeks, and she didn't have the heart to tell him she wasn't into guys. It was sweet of her, but it made Ben's life all the harder when he had to listen to his cousin prattle on like a lovesick fool at all hour of the day. He could only imagine what Romeo's dorm-mates must have endured.

"Well Rosaline actually _likes_ talking to me. She says I'm interesting." He puffs out his chest, looking far too proud of himself. If Mercutio were here, he'd know how to make a joke to get Romeo off the topic. But Mercutio is unfortunately absent, so Ben can do nothing but sit and listen because he's not good at making jokes and he can't bear to crush Romeo's hopes. So he would smile and suffer through because he was a good cousin and friend, and because he couldn't think of any other subject that would distract the Hufflepuff.

"Anyway, I was talking to her, and she told me that when we go home for Christmas, I'll have to bring her some of those candies that mum makes. You know, the caramel and strawberry ones?" Ben nodded, but guilt settled into his stomach and he looked at his cousin.

"Romeo, um, me and Cutio have been talking, and well...I don't think we're going to go home for Christmas this year." he said, wincing and looking at Romeo to gage his reaction. The younger boy looked confused, but not angry, which was better than Ben had been expecting.

"What? Why not? Don't you want to see mum and dad? And get your presents?" Romeo asked, and Ben could already see the gears in his head spinning.

"Of course we do. But…" he paused, not sure how to convey what he was thinking. "There's so much tension there. With the fighting and everything, and I just know there's going to be a fight while all of us are home for the holidays. Uncle and Old Capulet are never civil, especially not when they're forced into the same room. Escalus' Christmas party is going to end in disaster again, I just know it."

Ben hated the feuding in Verona. It was ridiculous, and the elder generations always managed to drag their children into it. Benvolio couldn't count the number of times that he and Tybalt had been faced with each other, their uncles spitting insults and goading them into a fight. Ben had always had the sense to walk away, but last year Mercutio had stepped in to pull him away and Capulet had shouted obscenities at them until a furious Escalus made him leave. If there was even a chance that such a thing could happen again, Ben wanted to be as far away from Verona as possible. He had discussed the issue with Mercutio, who had agreed, but Ben expected it was mostly to make him feel better.

Romeo nodded, looking pensive.

"You're right, but I still think you should come home and see everyone. Just think about it, okay? You don't have to actually decide until Christmas." he said, and thankfully dropped the subject despite his obvious desire to say more. That was another thing about Romeo, he could talk forever but he knew when it was best to keep his mouth shut. Ben was grateful for this, but he knew he would still have to make a decision. For now, he pushed the situation to the back of his mind and resolved to think about it later.

His eyes wandered across the room, catching on Tybalt, who was sitting at the Gryffindor table but looked like he rather be anywhere else. Valentine was glaring down the table at him, and his friends didn't seem to be talking to him, though that was most likely due to his standoffish behavior than spite on their part. The Capulet was picking at his food, moving it around the plate but very rarely putting any of it in his mouth. His eyes were focused on the plate, but his gaze seemed distant, as if he was lost in thought.

"What do you think is up with him?" Ben asked Romeo, gesturing at the sullen boy. Romeo turned his head to look, taking in the scene before turning back to Ben with a shrug.

"Maybe he's mad because he got in trouble for the duel. Or maybe Val is weirding him out. _I_ wouldn't want to be on his bad side." the younger Montague said. Ben nodded to acknowledge his theory, but his eyes stayed on Tybalt. As he watched, the Gryffindor lifted his head and looked around, catching Ben's eye. Instead of looking away, Ben offered up a small smile. He wasn't surprised that Tybalt didn't return it, but even the small nod he received was more than he had anticipated from the boy. Usually, Tybalt regarded him with a stubborn disinterest. Ben tried to avoid the conflict of their families as much as possible, so his interactions with the young Capulet were limited exclusively to his scraps with Mercutio. He hadn't actually had a conversation with Tybalt since his childhood. The thought struck him as odd. At Hogwarts they were removed from their families' adversity, but apparently behaviors learned were behaviors maintained.

A sudden bravado caught him and he stood, ignoring Romeo's questioning tone and making his way to Tybalt. The boy looked confused when he realized that Ben was coming towards him, but he didn't look angry. That was a positive, at least. Ben reached the Gryffindor table and put his hands in his pockets, suddenly feeling rather nervous.

"Hey." he greeted Tybalt, who was looking at him with a mixture of confusion and suspicion.

"Hey." Came the careful reply. Tybalt's friends were looking at Ben like he had just grown a second head, and he was becoming increasingly sure that this had been a bad idea.

"Um...is your eye okay? It looks bad. I mean, _you_ don't look bad. It just looks...painful." God this was a terrible idea. Mercutio would have been so much better at this. He was always better at talking to people than Ben, who preferred to write what he was trying to convey. Tybalt was still looking at him strangely, but seemed to relax a bit when he didn't automatically pick a fight.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It looks worse than it feels."

"Good. Or, not good, but I guess it is? Um...sorry about Romeo. He's a bit scatterbrained at times." he said. Tybalt snorted.

"You're telling me." he said, and smirked. Oh. That was new. At least to Ben, who was used to little more than a straight-faced acknowledgement from the Capulet. The expression made Tybalt look younger, despite the fact that the boy was only seventeen. "Look out for him, or he might throw himself into an actually dangerous situation one of these days."

"We're working on it. Right now we're learning how not to get your best friend sent to the hospital." he joked, and was rewarded with another small laugh from Tybalt. Ben was quickly learning that he enjoyed the sound, it was abrupt and barely noticeable if you weren't listening for it. He attempted to suppress a smile but failed, and was pleasantly surprised when Tybalt smiled back. "Also how to learn when a girl is definitely not interested. Unfortunately the second lesson seems to be going over his head so far. It's a little bit sad, honestly."

"I can imagine. I wouldn't want him chasing after me, I feel sorry for the poor girl." Tybalt shook his head in mock disappointment and looked over at Romeo. Ben followed his gaze to see that his younger cousin was staring at him with a mixture of shock and utter perplexity. Ben could see his brain short-circuiting from across the room. "You better get back to him before his head explodes."

"You're probably right." Ben turned around to leave, but turned back a moment later. "We should talk more." Tybalt looked surprised, but not unpleasantly so. He nodded.

"Yeah. I'll, uh, I'll probably see you around, so don't be afraid or anything." he said, looking down at the table. His friends had gone quiet around him.

"I'll keep that in mind. See you later, Tybalt." Ben made to walk away but was stopped by the Gryffindor's voice.

"It's Ty." He looked over his shoulder. Oh, what the hell.

"See you later, Ty." He winked. Actually winked, which was something he only ever did to Mercutio, and only because the boy was oblivious. He revelled in the way Ty's eyes widened a fraction and he flushed, fixing his eyes to the table. If the Gryffindor had been attractive when he was smiling, he was downright cute when he was bashful. Ben smiled to himself and sauntered back over to Romeo, who was still looking at him like he was some kind of mutant.

"Did you just flirt with Tybalt Capulet?" The question was incredulous, and Ben patted Romeo on the head before sitting down.

"Yes, Romeo. Some of us actually do it instead of talking a person's ear off." He looked pointedly to where Rosaline was sitting with a friend at the Ravenclaw table. Romeo followed his gaze.

"Ha, you're hilarious. You should win an award or someth-" He went quiet, his jaw falling slightly open.

"Oh, come on. You see her _every day._ " Ben rolled his eyes. Really, Romeo was so dramatic.

"No, no. Who's that other girl? The brunette?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the girl in question. Ben did a quick double take and paused when he saw who it was.

"Romeo, no. Forget about it." he said, shaking his head.

" _Tell me._ Who is she?" Romeo whined, fixing his best begging look on Ben.

"You look ridiculous, but fine. Her name is Juliet Capulet, Ty's cousin. She's Old Capulet's daughter, so stop what you're thinking right now. He'd kill you if he found out you wanted to date her. Ty's also super protective of her, and he thinks you're dumber than rocks. No way is he going to let you date his baby cousin." Ben said, and rested a hand on Romeo's shoulder. "Sorry, bud."

"But she's just so…"

" _No,_ Romeo. Plus, weren't you in love with Rosaline not even ten minutes ago? That's sort of...questionable. You have to see that it's questionable." Ben was practically begging now. Romeo had to see reason on this, or he would end up doing something really stupid, Ben just had a feeling.

"Yeah, fine." Romeo waved a hand in dismissal, but his voice was far away, as if he were planning something. Ben sighed and rubbed his temples. He had already seen one friend sent to the hospital wing today, he wasn't about to watch a second time. So, without saying goodbye to Romeo (who seemed too lost in thought to care anyway) he quietly left the dining hall.

Halfway down the stairs to the hospital wing, he ran into Mercutio, who looked so unabashedly happy to see him that he gave the appearance of an excited puppy.

"Benny, darling, how considerate of you to come visit me! To what do I owe the pleasure?" He dipped into a low bow, and Ben rolled his eyes.

"Romeo found another girl to obsess over, so I left dinner before he could start waxing poetic about the color of her eyes." He shook his head but chuckled at his cousin's antics, and Mercutio winced.

"Eesh. Poor girl. Who is it this time?"

"Juliet Capulet." At the sound of the girl's name, Mercutio looked momentarily surprised before he broke out into laughter.

"Oh my god, that's hilarious. He's going to get eaten alive." he said, and Ben nodded in agreement. They began walking up the stairs, headed nowhere in particular. They did this often, with or without Romeo, exploring the castle until they found something interesting or got too tired to keep walking. It was a system that hadn't failed yet, allowing them to have a conversation and still have something to do. Mercutio got over-excitable if they stayed in one place for too long. Nine hours in the hospital wing must have been extremely difficult for him.

They eventually reached a courtyard on the east side of the castle, and settled down in the grass in the fading light. For a moment they were silent, looking up at the cloudy sky framed by the walls of the courtyard. Then, Ben turned to Mercutio.

"I told Romeo about Christmas." he said. Mercutio turned his head to look Ben in the eye.

"What did he say?" His voice was conversational, and lacking any of the worry that Ben would have in such a situation.

"He wants us to go, of course, but he says he understands why we don't want to. I know the feud gets to him too." Ben worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "It's not that I don't want to see everyone, I just don't know if it's worth it. There's going to be a fight, no matter what we try and do to prevent it. The holidays are supposed to be happy, but if it's anything like usual it'll end with a funeral. I'm just...I'm sick of it."

Mercutio reached over and grasped Ben's hand, which threw him off for a moment, but instead of pulling away he squeezed the boy's hand.

"I know. It sucks, but it won't be like this forever. Most of the Capulet's that are our age are pretty reasonable. Like Juliet. She's never been part of the feud. Plus, Escalus is keeping it under control, for the most part. If anything happens at Christmas, he'll be pissed." Mercutio never referred to Escalus as his uncle. When they were younger, Ben had asked why, and Mercutio had told him it was because he didn't _feel_ like he was nobility. He _was_ a de Scalla, but Valentine was the next in line. Mercutio didn't have to worry about inheriting or managing his family's wealth or reputation, and so he looked upon the whole thing with an air of detachment. Ben wished he could adopt such an attitude towards his own family. He explained all this to Mercutio, who listened with an attentiveness that was common for him. He talked a lot (though not as much as Romeo) but he knew when Ben needed someone to listen, and was always there to fill that role. When Ben was done, Mercutio surprised him by pulling him close so his head rested on the other boy's chest. It was comforting, so he relaxed into the hold and allowed Mercutio to lightly stroke his hair.

"Forget about them. You're uncle and everyone. You have a family, but it's not the Motagues. I'm your family, _and_ Romeo. At least, I consider you family. Is that weird? Shit, sorry." He moved to pull away, but Ben clenched his hand in the fabric of his sweater and held him there.

"It's not weird. Its...I feel the same." He smiled into Mercutio's chest, and held a little tighter where their hands were still clasped. In turn, Mercutio held him a little closer. They lay like that for a while in comfortable silence, Ben's eyelids slowly closing as he sank farther into Mercutio's arms. The bell signalling the end of dinner rang, and he sighed. Reluctantly, he sat up, smiling as Mercutio yawned and stretched. When they stood, the boy had leaves and grass stuck in his long hair, which Ben pulled out carefully, chuckling. They walked back through the castle, Mercutio cracking jokes that had Ben in stitches by the time they reached the staircase that led to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Well, here we are. Thanks for keeping me company, beautiful." Mercutio winked, and Ben chuckled and swatted him gently before turning to walk up the spiral staircase.

"Goodnight, you sap. I'll see you tomorrow, and you better have gotten at least some sleep." He warned, knowing that Mercutio had a tendency to stay up late into the night.

"No promises, but I'll try, just for you." the Slytherin said. "Goodnight, Benny my love." He smiled one last time before turning and walking down the hallway. Ben watched him for a few moments before continuing up the stairs, his mind drawing up the feeling of his best friend's arms around him and the cool night breeze playing in his hair. That night, he fell asleep with an inexplicable longing in his heart and the memory of Mercutio's heartbeat in his ear.


	4. In Which There is No Loveliness

Sleeping in the Gryffindor dorm was something that, even after six years, Ty had never grown accustomed to. The constant noise the other boys made in their sleep was such a contrast to his bedroom in Verona, which perpetuated a deep silence that allowed him to sleep peacefully. Also, if for some reason he _couldn't_ sleep or terrors woke him in the night, Jules room was right down the hall. At Hogwarts, if he wanted to see his cousin, he had to walk all the way across the castle. In the middle of the night, there was no way to contact her without getting in trouble for being out of bed past curfew, and Ty was already in enough trouble.

He sighed and resigned himself to a sleepless night. Settling under the covers, he replayed the day's events in his head. The conversation he'd had with Benvolio at dinner was...pleasant, if unexpected. The boy had alway been gentle and kind, despite being a Montague. He smiled easily and Ty had actually caught himself smiling in return. And then that fucking _wink._ He could feel his face heating up just thinking about it, and ducked his head farther into the covers. The irritating thing was, he didn't know if Ben had been joking or not. Regardless, if Ty had thought the Ravenclaw attractive _before,_ now he had a problem.

Scratch that, two problems. His discussion with Mercutio had thrown him for a loop. He had expected the boy to be angry, or at the very least irate. But he had apologized to Ty, even joked with him. It had honestly just made him feel worse about injuring the Slytherin, even if he had assured Ty that there were no hard feelings. He had also caught Mercutio looking at him several times, which was incredibly confusing. Granted, Ty only noticed because _he_ had been staring, but he couldn't begin to guess at Mercutio's reasons for watching him so intently.

He groaned into his pillow in frustration before sitting up in bed. If he wasn't going to get any sleep, what was the point in lying down? He slipped on his shoes and snatched his wand from the bedside table before sneaking down the stairs to the common room. Seeing the usually bustling environment so still was unnerving, but he disregarded the feeling and left the tower, checking the corridor to make sure no-one saw him.

His feet carried him towards the clocktower almost subconsciously. He often went there to think, or simply to sit in silence for a while, the only sound being the whirring of the large mechanism. It reminded him of the cathedral in Verona, and when he and his friends would climb the steeple to watch the sunrise.

However, when he came to the tower, he found it already occupied. A figure leaned against the rail, looking out across the lake. Ty approached quietly, not wanting to disturb them. Hopefully, he could still sit here without alerting the other to his presence. He positioned himself so he could watch the clock's intricate workings without being seen by his companion. Closing his eyes, Ty felt weariness press against his mind, more noticeable now that his surroundings were quiet. A contented sigh slipped from his mouth and he froze, chastising himself. The figure near the rail spun to face him, hissing a, "who's there?"

Ty was surprised to hear the voice of Mercutio, but he remained still. Perhaps-

"I can see you, you know." Damn. So much for peace and quiet. He stood and turned towards Mercutio, who looked equally surprised to see him. Surprised, but not displeased.

"We _have_ to stop meeting in the middle of the night like this. People will start to talk." the Slytherin joked, offering a smirk and folding his arms across his chest. Ty snorted.

"Let them, who cares?" He walked closer to Mercutio and leaned against the rail next to him. "What are you doing here this late, anyway?"

"I could ask you the same question." Mercutio nudged Ty with his elbow, and although the contact was unexpected, it wasn't unpleasant. "I couldn't sleep."

"Same here. The dorm is too noisy, and it's been...a long day." Ty finished the sentence with a sigh and gestured to the ugly purple bruise on his face. Mercutio winced, but nodded, laying a hand over his side.

"You're telling me." His face twisted in discomfort, and guilt lanced through Ty. He didn't get to dwell on it for long though, Mercutio was soon moving to a different subject. "I know what you mean by noisy, though. Verona is so quiet at night."

Ty hummed in agreement and they lapsed into silence for a moment. Then Mercutio laughed, seemingly at nothing.

"What?" Ty asked, quirking an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Nothing. I was just remembering something Ben told me." He giggled again.

" _Tell me."_ Ty was aware that he was whining, but he didn't really care. He bumped his shoulder against Mercutio's.

"No, I really shouldn't. Come on, don't look at me like that. I _can't_ -oh okay." Ty snickered as Mercutio leaned closer, as if telling a secret.

. "So Romeo has been 'in love' with this girl Rosaline for a while. Trailing along after her, babbling her ear off, typical Romeo forms of seduction. Suffice to say it isn't working, probably because Rose is very, very gay and doesn't have the heart to tell him." Ty shook his head. Benvolio had told him something like this at dinner, and he still felt sorry for the girl. He couldn't imagine having the young Montague following him around all the time. How did Rosaline put up with it? "So apparently he saw her at dinner today, sitting with her friend. And _allegedly_ , although I have very good sources, the other girl was so beautiful that he forgot about Rose in two seconds." Ty winced. Apparently, Romeo was even more insufferable than he had originally thought.

"How do you two put up with him all the time?" he asked Mercutio, who smiled and shrugged.

"I'm not really sure. Immunity by exposure?" Ty snorted and slid down the rail into a sitting position. Mercutio sat down next to him so they were angled towards each other. They sat for a moment in silence before Mercutio spoke up again.

"Ben doesn't want to go home for Christmas." he said, looking uncharacteristically hesitant. "Honestly, I couldn't care less either way, but the feud gets to him. He hates being pitted against you and Juliet just because you're Capulets, and he thinks if we go something bad will happen." Ty didn't understand why Mercutio was confiding in him, but he _did_ understand Ben's feelings. The fight between the Capulets and Montagues had been going on since they were children, and showed no signs of stopping in the near future. Many of the younger children, like Juliet and Romeo, couldn't even remember a time before the feud. It made Ty angry if he thought about it too much, so he tended not to. In fact, he tried not to think about Verona much at all while at Hogwarts, lest the loneliness of his uncle's house follow him to school.

"I get where he's coming from." he said to Mercutio, who looked up from his lap. Ty shrugged away the discomfort of suddenly being center of the other boy's attention, and continued. "Home kind of sucks for me, too. Jules is really the only one who gives a shit about me there." Mercutio chuckled a bit.

"It seems all the kids in Verona have less than ideal home lives. How coincidental." He put his finger on his chin as if contemplating some great mystery. "Must be something in the water." His eyes flickered back to Ty and a smile lit his features. Ty smiled back, but a question was poised on his tongue.

"What about you? Valentine and Escalus seem nice enough." he said, trying not to sound too intrusive. Mercutio shrugged and looked away for a moment.

"Oh yeah, they're fine. Val can get annoying at times, and Escalus is always busy, but they're nice enough. I don't envy them, though." Ty's query must have appeared on his face, because when Mercutio looked back at him, he elaborated. "Escalus is the head of the family, and Val is his successor. They've got a lot on their shoulders, managing the family's funds and reputation. I'm a bit of an afterthought."

Ty scoffed at that, not believing that anyone could look over Mercutio de boy was a beacon of energy with a flare for theatrics, causing some sort of commotion wherever he went. His exuberant personality had once been a source of annoyance for Ty, but over time his view had grown more amicable. Mercutio looked at him curiously.

"I don't think anyone could ignore you if they tried." Ty said. The look on Mercutio's face shifted like he was trying to figure out if he had just been insulted or complimented, but the smile quickly returned to his face. He always seemed to be smiling.

"Thanks, I guess. Escalus is always telling me to tone it down, but where's the fun in that?" Twice now, Mercutio had referred to Escalus by name, instead of calling him uncle. Ty wondered at the reason behind the peculiarity, but didn't mention it to Mercutio. He didn't want to upset his delicate new status as the boy's...what? Were they friends? Could you be friends with someone after two civil conversations? Ty was surprised to find that he wanted Mercutio to like him, despite the fact that a week ago he wouldn't have cared what the de Scalla thought. The revelation unsettled him a bit, although he didn't know why.

"Ty? Are you awake?" Mercutio waved a hand in front of his face, and he blinked. Turning to Mercutio, he smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I was spacing out. I guess I'm more tired than I thought." His sentence was punctuated by a yawn. When he opened his eyes, Mercutio was looking at him with an expression he couldn't place. He shifted a little under the blonde's gaze. Mercutio blinked and the look was gone, replaced with an amused smile. Perhaps Ty had imagined it?

"I can't blame you, it's past one." Mercutio gestured to the clock, and Ty followed his hand. He was right, of course, but Ty had trouble believing that an hour had passed while he and Mercutio talked. The other boy seemed to think the same, bumping their shoulders together and saying, "Time flies, huh?"

Ty nodded and leaned back so their shoulders didn't break contact. He held his breath for a moment, expecting Mercutio to move away, but the Slytherin remained where he was. In fact, he shifted a bit to accommodate for the new position. Ty released his breath and allowed himself to relax, leaning his head back against the rail and letting his eyes close for a moment. The spot where his shoulder met Mercutio's was warm, but Ty wasn't sure if the feeling came from the touch itself or his own reaction to it.

They sat in silence, and the sounds of the clock tower's mechanisms seemed to grow inside the quiet. The methodical whirring, ticks and chimes created an odd sort of lullaby, and Ty soon felt sleep creeping around the edges of his eyelids. He knew he should probably bid Mercutio goodnight and head back to his bed, but was reluctant to leave. Gryffindor Tower was halfway across the castle, and he felt if he had to make the trek now he may end up falling asleep on his feet. So, instead of getting up, he simply leaned further into Mercutio and slipped quietly into sleep.

Ty's breathing evened out and slowed, and his head tipped lightly onto Mercutio's shoulder. Mercutio turned his head slightly so he could study the sleeping boy's face without jostling him. When he was asleep, his face relaxed. Despite the dark bruise around his eye, he looked calm. The absence of lines on his forehead made him seem younger. Not quite as young as Romeo, and definitely not as excitable, but still holding the flame of lovely youth in his own right. Hang on, lovely? Since when had Mercutio ever thought of Ty Capulet as lovely?

His mind, unbidden, called up memories of their interactions. Playful eyes and a smirk across the dining hall. Taunting words, spoken with disconjointed mirth. A stammered apology. No, the boy was not lovely. He was a firebrand, a summer storm over the sea. He had the capability of being terrible, but it rarely came to fruition. Usually, Ty handled everything with a temper and gaiety that might have been considered charming, even in its brashness.

Mercutio was not shocked to find himself considering such things, and absentmindedly raised a hand to card through Ty's brown curls. The boy made a noise of contentment and shifted closer, so he was almost in Mercutio's lap. The blonde's lips quirked up at the motion, and he carefully maneuvered their position so Ty's head came to rest in his lap. Then, still threading his hands through Ty's hair, Mercutio tilted his head back against the rail and closed his eyes.

A few moments later, his hands stilled and he was snoring lightly. The moonlight broke through the cover of grey clouds for a brief second, silhouetting two boys, made innocent by sleep. Then it faded, and they were blanketed in the unassuming dark once more, until the soft light of dawn touched the lake the next morning.


End file.
